Victoria Arlen: Walking, Thriving, Dancing With the Stars

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Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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There’s more to swimming than just doing laps, and there’s more to life than just swimming. We cannot always find those professional swimmers in the pool, sometimes they step off deck and into the spotlight. Paralympic Gold Medalist Victoria Arlen is doing just that.

Arlen, Swimming World’s “Swim-lebrity” of the Week, will begin her role as a cast member on season 25 of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars on September 18.

Arlen is not the first swimmer to get on her dancing feet for the show, as both Natalie Coughlin and Ryan Lochte have served as cast members on the show in the past. Arlen is, however, the first swimmer to use those feet on the show after being diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis.

In 2006, the then 11-year-old was unable to speak, eat or move. She spent the next four years trapped inside her own body, and was told she had little chance of survival, let alone recovery. But in 2010, Arlen began to defeat the odds, and found herself slowly on the path to recovery. 

Within two years, Arlen found herself at the 2012 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials, where she broke the World Record in the S6 100 freestyle. She went on to win gold in this event in London, and earned silver medals in the 50 free, 400 free and 400 free relay as well.

When I was five I was asked by my teacher “what do you want to do when you grow up” my response “win a gold medal”. And I’m sure you can imagine her response. But despite the odds and circumstances I achieved that lifelong dream five years ago today. To be honest I don’t know where I would be without that experience. To me it was more than winning a gold medal, that moment was a moment where I knew and truly felt alive for the first time in a really long time. Two years prior to this moment I was waking up from a four year vegetative state and feeling “alive” was the last thing I felt. And this “dream” I had seemed unattainable; impossible actually. But who says you can’t do the impossible? #ProvePeopleWrong ??

A post shared by Victoria Arlen (@arlenv1) on

 

Since 2012, Arlen has joined ESPN as an on-air reporter, covering events such as the X-Games and The ESPYs. She is also a motivational speaker and is President of Victoria’s Victory Foundation, which provides scholarships for those overcoming obstacles and looking to make a positive impact on the world.

Through this work, Arlen has inspired many, as shown by the outreach from co-workers, professional athletes and fans after her DWTS announcement:

Other competitors on season 25 of the show include Terrell Owens, Nick Lachey, Vanessa Lachey, Sasha Pieterse, Nikki Bella, Lindsey Stirling, Jordan Fisher, Frankie Muniz, Drew Scott, Derek Fisher, Debbie Gibson and Barbara Corcoran. 

ABC and Hollywood Life contributed to this report. 

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